Power of Succession
by Ouka-Noir
Summary: The Clans have changed in ways some may not understand, but to keep civil war from breaking out the Right of Succession was created by StarClan. It has been many seasons since the first Council was formed and now the Clans are at peace, but peace is never meant to last long. Mothkit simply wants to become a warrior and Loudkit want to prove himself. Their destiny is so much more.
1. Allegiance

Allegiances

 **MountainClan**

Leader: Lightstar- pale gray tabby she-cat with white patches missing part of her ear

Deputy: Pineclaw- dark golden-brown tom with darker spots

Healer: Iceleaf- black tom with white tipped paws and tail

Kit Carer: Daisywing- light orange tabby she-cat with a lighter belly

Apprentice, Daisypaw

Hunter: Cinderscar- brown tom with a scar running from his shoulder to his belly

Apprentice, Cinderpaw

Fighter: Adderstrike- light tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Advisor: Foxberry- light brown-and-cream tabby tom with graying knotted fur

Apprentice, Foxleap- pale ginger tom with a white face and green eyes

Warriors (cats old enough to hunt and fight)

•Thundertail- black she-cat with a white tail and face

•Redclaw- dark ginger she-cat

•Thistleburr- white-and-orange tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Silverpaw

•Dustwhisker- black-and-ginger tom

•Mothclaw- long haired pale silver-and-black tabby tom

•Silentrunner- slim white she-cat

Apprentice, Quickpaw

•Owlfeather- brown-and-white tom with feathered ears

•Jaysong- lithe mottled black she-cat

•Mistcloud- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Skypaw

•Petalfur- white she-cat with yellow tabby patches

Apprentices (cats at least six moons old training to become Warriors)

•Daisypaw- lithe cream-and-brown she-cat with amber eyes

•Silverpaw- small gray-and-white she-cat

•Cinderpaw- dark gray tom with a white muzzle and paws

•Quickpaw- brown tabby she-cat

•Skypaw- silver tom with white patches

Queens (she-cats currently expecting or nursing kits)

•Whiteflower- dark brown she-cat with white paws, expecting Thistleburr's kits

•Leafpelt- mottled brown she-cat with bright eyes, nursing Mothclaw's kits: Loudkit (black and white tom) and Mothkit (light brown tabby she-cat)

Elders (cats who have retired due to age or injury)

•Badgerpelt- black-and-white she-cat with a graying muzzle

•Stonefur- pale gray tabby tom, forced to retire early due to illness

•Rosetuft- deaf pinkish gray-and-white she-cat

 **ForestClan**

Leader: Duskstar- long furred dark gray tom with thorn sharp claws

Deputy: Riverspot- pale spotted tabby tom with dark eyes

Apprentice, Riverstripe- ginger-brown tom

Healer: Alderbranch- dark gray she-cat with tabby markings

Apprentice, Alderpaw

Kit Carer: Goldenpelt- sleek dark tortoiseshell mottled she-cat

Hunter: Fernspring- mottled gray tom with scars on his flank

Fighter: Sandflower- dusky gray-and-brown she-cat with blue eyes

Advisor: Nighteyes- blind black she-cat with a single white paw

Warriors (cats old enough to hunt and fight)

•Eaglestrike- pale tabby tom with a white muzzle

•Waspwing- wiry mottled brown she-cat

Apprentice, Brownpaw

•Puddlesplash- dark gray mottled tom

Apprentice, Fallowpaw

•Hollypelt- gray-and-white she-cat

•Stagfur- white tom with brown tabby patches

•Twigtail- pale brown tabby tom

•Lavenderleaf- pinkish-brown she-cat

•Wrenfeather- brown and white splotchy she-cat

•Hawkheart- thick furred gray tabby tom

Apprentices (cats at least six moons old training to become Warriors)

•Fallowpaw- golden tabby she-cat with green eyes

•Brownpaw- dark brown she-cat

•Alderpaw- tortoiseshell tom with lighter patches

Queens (she-cats currently expecting or nursing kits)

•Amberlight- golden she-cat with tabby stripes, nursing Stagfur's kits: Wildkit (ragged brown tom), Patchkit (black and gold tabby tom) and Doekit (brown and white she-kit)

•Sunbelly- ginger she-cat with amber eyes, expecting Riverspot's kits

•Slightfoot- white she-cat with gold splotches she-cat with a twisted paw, nursing Eaglestrike's kits: Dapplekit (tortoiseshells she-kit) and Brindlekit (ginger tabby she-kit)

Elders (cats who have retired due to age or injury)

•Thornpelt- tangled black she-cat with scarred eyes

•Ravenflight- black and white tom with a graying muzzle

•Cloudwhisker- deaf pure white tom with striking blue eyes

 **Cats Outside of the Clans**

Flower- brown and black marbled tabby she-cat with ragged fur and sharp green eyes

 **History/Terminology**

Amongst the clan is a group known as the Council which is comprised of 7 cats who each represent a piece of the clan: leader, deputy, hunter, fighter, healer, kit carer and advisor. The Council was originally formed to keep peace within the clan by putting any major decision regarding the clan to a vote amongst the Council members. The Council seeks advice from the members of StarClan who tell them who will succeed each Council member; these successors are typically chosen during apprentice-hood but some have been chosen after they became warriors or while they are still kits. Those named as successors take on the original Council member's prefix while their suffix is unique to themselves; when they retire, they change their prefix back to the one they were born with. There have been occasions where a cat outside of the clans is chosen as a successor. The prefixes of the original Council are reserved for only those chosen to succeed them in their position.

Succession is a process governed by StarClan that decides who is best suited to succeed as a member of their Clan's Council. Succession can be decided anywhere from when one is a kit to when one is a warrior, there is no specific age that one may be appointed to succeed a member of the council. When one is chosen to succeed a member of the council, they change the prefix of their name to match that of the original council member but retain their suffix.

 **Original MountainClan Council**

Leader- Lightstar

Deputy- Pineleaf (Pine-)

Healer- Icepool (Ice-)

Kit Carer- Daisyfall (Daisy-)

Hunter- Cinderstripe (Cinder-)

Fighter- Adderleap (Adder-)

Advisor- Foxheart (Fox-)

 **Original ForestClan Council**

Leader- Duskstar

Deputy- Riverstorm (River-)

Healer- Alderpelt (Alder-)

Kit Carer- Goldenstripe (Golden-)

Hunter- Ferntail (Fern-)

Fighter- Sandfoot (Sand-)

Advisor- Nightfur (Night-)

 **Duties**

Leader-guide the Clan with help from the rest of the Council and is the voice for the Clan, only they and their healer may speak with StarClan. Unlike the others of the Council, they are succeeded by the current deputy

Deputy-the cat who will take over for the leader when he/she loses his/her nine lives, but until that day they act as the second in command within the clan

Healer-the cat who helps to keep the clan healthy and must keep a clear head under stressful situations, only they and their leader may speak with StarClan

Kit Carer-the cat (always a she-cat) who cares for the kits and makes sure they are healthy and safe

Hunter-the cat who is most skilled at hunting and organizes hunting patrols for the clan

Fighter-the cat who is most skilled at fighting and organizes border patrols for the clan

Advisor-the eldest cat on the Council who uses their wisdom to advise the rest of the Council based on their past experiences


	2. Prologue

**AN: So I decided to go back and edit how this story is laid out for the sake of my sanity. Hopefully I can actually get to writing some more of this story and Full Moon's story soon. Wish me luck!**

* * *

 **Prologue**

For many seasons now, the Clans have thrived in a land that twolegs had yet to set paw. The land was lush with greenery and swelling with prey as far as the eye could see. Here, two Clans were formed: MountainClan, who lived at the base of a great mountain where their camp was protected by the walls of a ravine and the forest was thick with pine trees, and ForestClan, who lived in the lush undergrowth of the forest that gathered beside a great lake where they thrived in their camp. Both clans lived in peaceful times but also fought against one another as many Clans do. Sadly, fights not only broke out between the neighbors but within the Clans as well.

Ever since the Clans were formed, there were disputes amongst clanmates about how to decide who should be leader or deputy or how medicine cats should be chosen. Season upon season, these disputes grew and grew until a great war broke out within the Clans themselves with the cats divided amongst who they believed was fit to fulfill the roles of their Clan. StarClan was in disarray at the sight below them, watching on in despair as warrior upon warrior were slaughtered for a forsaken cause. Finally, it became too much. StarClan called upon the existing healers and spoke to them of a plan to halt any further conflict over leadership and status.

The healers were told to seek out those within their own clans who would be chosen to stand as those who would guide the Clans back to prosperity. The cats agreed and returned to their Clans. Over the next sunrises six cats within each Clan experienced a fever and when they were examined by the healer, the cats of StarClan appeared around them and told the healer the role the fevered cat would play in the Clan. These cats gathered before their respective Clans and told them of the path that StarClan had laid before them; each had been chosen for their role by StarClan specifically and none within the Clan could argue when the ranks of StarClan yowled their approval from the stars. These cats became known as the Council and guided the Clans back to prosperity.

Ever since that day, the process of Succession became common place within the Clans. Those chosen by StarClan to become a successor to a role change their names to honor the seven members of the original Council. To further honor their rise from disarray, the Leaders created a ceremony to promote a cat to their new name just as one would do for an apprentice or warrior. StarClan watched over the Clans and how far they had come since the days of civil war and discontent. Even now, the Succession continues to help the Clans to prosper.

* * *

The stars shone brightly in the near black sky as the slim half-moon shone over the ravine that was the home of MountainClan. From atop the steep cliff sat a black tom cat who looked down at his Clan with calm gray eyes. He probably should have descended by now to return to his Clan after a long night of sharing tongues with StarClan, but something held him in place at the top of the ledge. Something about this view gave him a sense of nostalgia; it brought back memories of his succession ceremony to Icepaw and training under the elderly healer, Icemask, who taught him so many things before being named as Iceleaf and watching his mentor ascend to the ranks of StarClan only to take up his place as healer on the Council. For him, his life had truly started when he had come down with a fever as an apprentice only to be told he had a greater destiny as Icemask's apprentice. Just thinking about it reminded him of how lucky he was to have been chosen by StarClan to succeed in the role of medicine cat even though he had had no interest beforehand. StarClan had been kind to show him his hidden prowess for memorization and helping others even when he himself had never noticed.

Now he was the one to tell a pawful of lucky cats that they too had been chosen for a greater destiny as he had many moons ago. Whenever he was told that a cat was experiencing a fever, however minor, his heart leapt at the thought of another Succession. Even now, it made him as excited as a kit to see the cats of StarClan gathered around the fevered cat and tell him what role they are meant to play in the Clan.

Iceleaf allowed a light chuckle bubble out of his throat at the memories of the Successions filled his mind. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't even notice the presence of another cat scaling the ravine to his perch. "And just what has you giggling like a gossiping queen, Iceleaf?" the cat purred amusedly.

The tom flinched and turned his head swiftly to meet the eyes of the pretty gray tabby she-cat who had snuck up on him while lost in his thoughts. He relaxed quickly with an exhausted sigh and tried to calm his butterfly of a heart. "You scared me half to StarClan, Lightstar; I'm not as young as I used to be you know." He scowled then. "And who are you calling a queen?"

Lightstar purred again and smiled at her disgruntled healer before taking up a seat beside him. The pretty she-cat stared out over their territory with proud eyes and Iceleaf soon found himself joining her. They remained in silence for many heartbeats are the moon crawled across the sky lazily. On nights like these, the tensions between MountainClan and their neighbors in ForestClan seemed to be a thing of imagination and not reality. Everything was so quiet and peaceful. 'If only it could stay this way forever,' Iceleaf thought to himself.

"Did StarClan tell you anything during your visit to the Moonlit Cave?" she asked quietly, trying not to disturb their moment of tranquility.

Iceleaf tilted his head upward in thought as the events of the half-moon meeting flitted about his memory. "Well, StarClan gave Alderbranch an apprentice. He was very shy about sharing tongues with his ancestors," he said. "Otherwise, StarClan did not have much to say in the way of prophecies or upcoming Successions. It's not as if they would ever tell me of one ahead of time anyways."

Lightstar bobbed her head in understanding.

"Oh," he gasped suddenly. "Icemask and Pineberry say 'hi'."

A small smile graced the leader's muzzle at the mention of the deceased clanmates. "They didn't say anything else by chance, did they?" she asked wistfully.

Iceleaf shook his head sadly.

She sighed dejectedly and lowered her head so her chin hovered just above her chest. Iceleaf watched his leader sink into sorrow and tried to think of something to lighten the mood. "Perhaps seeing them meant a Succession is going to take place soon for a deputy or healer apprentice," the healer supplied hopefully.

The pale she-cat lifted her head, her eyes brightening at the thought. "Perhaps it does. StarClan works in mysterious ways, now doesn't it?" As she spoke, she lifted her eyes to watch the stars are they twinkled about the sky.

"That is all too true," Iceleaf chuckled.

* * *

Below the cliff where leader and healer sat watching the stars pass by, the camp was silent with only a few warriors awake to watch for intruders. The rest of the clan slept curled on moss beds with their pelts pressed against one another for warmth. Even the smallest kits pressed close to their mother's milk filled belly to share in the warmth she radiated.

Unknown to them was the presence of an unseen she-cat who padded carefully into the nursery where the kits slept curled to their mother's belly. The ginger cat peered at the kits with interest, gazing at their feather soft pelts, blind eyes and deaf ears carefully. She watched them for a few moments longer before turning to exit the den with her mind at ease. As she passed through the entrance to the camp, she allowed the stars in her pelt to glow a bit brighter before her being faded to nothingness.

No cat would know that Pineberry had paid them a visit until four moons later.

* * *

 **Don't forget to follow, favorite and comment I would love to hear what you think of the story so far!**

 **Ouka**


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